March 30, 2007

Final Stats |  Quotes

Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

METAIRIE, La. - Junior right-hander Sean Morgan struck out 10 in a 6.2-inning start, and senior closer Daniel Latham pitched the Green Wave out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Conference USA foe East Carolina, 2-1, in the series opener between the two teams Friday evening at Zephyr Field.

Morgan (6-1) tied a season high with six walks and gave up four hits, but came up big when he needed it as he worked his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth by striking out the side. Latham, meanwhile, picked up his seventh save of the season by striking out the final batter of the seventh, pitching his way around a pair of singles in the eighth and retiring the side in order in the ninth.

With the win, Tulane snapped East Carolina's 14-game winning streak while improving to 21-7 on the year and 4-0 in C-USA action. The Pirates, meanwhile, fell to 20-7 on the year and 3-1 in league play.

"It was a fun game to watch," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "It was tightly contested, there was a lot of emotion and there was a lot of change of events. Sean Morgan gave us a gutsy, gutsy effort. When you punch out the side with the bases loaded and nobody out like he did...that just gave us a great lift. And when you have Daniel Latham in the bullpen and with the lead late, you've got an advantage."

Tulane out-hit East Carolina, 7-6, including two-hit performances from junior second baseman Brad Emaus, sophomore right fielder Warren McFadden and sophomore catcher Jared Dyer. The trio was responsible for the both of the Green Wave's runs on Friday, as Emaus led off the fourth with an infield single to short and advanced to second on the first of two sacrifice bunts by senior first baseman Tim Guidry.

McFadden brought Emaus home with single to left in the ensuing at-bat, and two pitches later, Dyer turned on a 1-0 offering from ECU starter T.J. Hose and sent it down the left field line for an RBI-double to provide what would be the games final run.

Pitching with a 2-1 advantage, Morgan got off to a rocky start in the sixth as he walked nine-hole hitter Ryan Wood, plunked centerfielder Harrison Eldridge, and gave up a bunt single to shortstop Dale Mollenhauer to load the bases with nobody out.

From there, Morgan found his breaking ball and carved up the next three ECU batters to escape the inning with no damage done. He retired the next five Pirates who stepped to the plate, but Mollenhauer got something going in the seventh with a two-out double to left before first baseman Stephen Batts and right fielder Ryan Tousley induced back-to-back walks to load the bases again.

Jones went to the bullpen and called on Latham, but before Latham could throw his first warm-up pitch, a brief rain shower caused a 34-minute delay in the action. Undeterred by the stoppage, Latham re-toed the rubber once play resumed and despite letting the count go full, got catcher Corey Kemps to look at a called third strike to strand another three on base.

"I think the mark of a real competitor and a real pitcher is when they can keep you in a ballgame and give you a chance to win without their best stuff and then - when it's crunch time - they can make pitches," Jones said. "Sean has done that a lot. And certainly tonight, that's what he did."

Hose pitched admirably for the Pirates, scattering six hits and four walks while striking out three in a 6.0-inning start, but was tagged with the loss after allowing both runs to score in the fifth. Jason Neitz gave East Carolina 1.1 innings of one-hit relief, and Brett Butts threw the final two outs of the eighth inning. Mollenhauer and designated hitter Jake Dean had two hits each to lead the Pirates' offensive attack.

"I thought T.J. threw outstanding," ECU coach Billy Godwin said. "I don't think there was anything we did (wrong) on the mound - we played good defense. We just have to give Morgan a lot of credit, that kid's pretty good. That breaking ball is as good as any we've seen all year. You just have to tip your hat to him."

The Green Wave and Pirates continue the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon. For ticket information, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE. You can also purchase tickets on game day at the Zephyr Field Ticket Office, which is located on the third-base side of stadium and opens approximately two hours before first pitch for each Tulane home game.